6692 CH.BELAIR MONANGE SAINT-EMILION 1ER GRAND CRU CLASSE 2015 1500ml [OWC1]

Château Bélair-Monange was born from the fusion of the vineyards of Châteaux Bélair and Magdelaine, both historic First Classified Growths of Saint-Émilion.
Tracing its origins back to Roman times, the vineyard of Château Bélair is situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau. Château Magdelaine, a contiguous cru acquired in 1952, has always been renowned for the remarkable elegance of its wines. Château Bélair-Monange expresses the unique style of the greatest parcels of these two complementary terroirs.

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The 2015 Belair Monange is definitely one of the most impressive wines from Saint-Émilion this vintage. It has a very intense yet stylish bouquet with copious red berry fruit laced with tobacco and black truffle, almost Pomerol-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with layers of plush red fruit, graphite, white pepper and a discrete smear of dark chocolate. It fans out beautifully on the finish, a very seductive temptress of a wine that is going to give a lot of pleasure over many years. RP96

The 2015 Belair-Monange is a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. It has a reticent bouquet at first, but it soon opens up with layers of blackberry, raspberry coulis, orange sorbet and floral aromas. This is beautifully defined and intellectual, a Saint Emilion with aromatic secrets that will only be revealed with bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with quite sturdy tannin. There is a firm backbone to this Belair-Monange, a serious Saint Emilion, complex and intellectual with precise red and black fruit, a touch of spice and a dash of white pepper on the finish. Dare I say, it represents the first Belair-Monange that ranks among JP Moueix's finest wines since the family acquired the property in 2011. RP95-97

This perhaps somewhat controversial marriage between the estates of Chateau Belair and Chateau Magdelaine—both Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion estates—to form Chateau Bélair Monange hits pay-dirt with this spectacular 2015 release. Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Belair Monange has the most singular nose of grilled meats, smoked game, iron ore and fallen leaves over a slowly unfurling ripe fruit core of crushed black plums, blackberry preserves and cassis with fragrant touches of star anise and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate reveals an arresting backbone of exquisitely ripe, very firm tannins and sparks of background acidity lifting and defining the rich, densely packed layers, culminating in an epically long and multifaceted finish. Possessing its own compellingly beautiful signature, this is a remarkably riveting wine that should not be missed. RP98+